Meeting between Presidents Joseph Kabila and Denis Sassou Nguesso, the Head of the African Union is the lead topic in today's local press.

President Kabila met with President Denis Sassou Nguesso yesterday in Brazzaville. Both personalities reviewed "the DRC electoral process," reports Le Potentiel.

The DRC electoral process is moving along smoothly though "some candidates continue prevaricating by demanding that registration offices be reopened for their members," writes Le Potentiel, echoing President Kabila. Le Potentiel quotes President Kabila as responding," Reopening the registration offices would delay indefinitely the electoral process." Obviously, President Joseph Kabila is "not enthusiastic about the idea of reopening the registration offices," highlights Le Phare.

The Independent Electoral Commission, for its part, does not rule out "the possibility for postponing the elections beyond 18 June 2006," warns Le Potentiel. The new calendar will be known after "the Independent Electoral Commission has finished examining applications...considered the number of candidates and pictures for the polls' ballots...this will take time," explains Le Potentiel.

"The calendar issue is a fake problem," points out Le Potentiel, echoing an international electoral expert. However, "the respect for 30 June 2006 deadline for the elections, stipulated in the all-inclusive agreement governing the DRC transition, is compulsory," says Le Potentiel. Under the new DRC transition, "Transitional institutions remain in place until new institutions are elected," explains the paper.

"As of 26 March 2006, 46 candidates registered for the presidential elections and 2.135 for the legislative," says Le Phare. Military candidates must "... quit the army in a formal ceremony," argues La Référence Plus. "Congolese people wonder whether President Kabila has indeed complied with this rule...If so, when did he do it," writes Le Phare.